Beauty
by invertedrainbow
Summary: Because of the twists and turns of fate, Aang was sleeping beside Zuko that night, and he discovers a hidden beauty that he cannot possibly ignore.  Zukaang


**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender and is no way affiliated to Nickelodeon.

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**Beauty**

There was a hidden beauty behind that stiff façade, Aang was sure.

That night, because of the twists and turns of fate, he was sleeping beside Zuko. The prince didn't really seem to mind at all. He said all he wanted was some peace and quiet (quickly glaring at Sokka who seemed oblivious of the situation) and a complete eight hours of sleep. Aang nodded and did his tidying as silently as he could. Zuko was someone he wanted to get along with, and so far, they're doing great.

Underneath the moonlight, the air bender sighed. There was something missing in the picture, he mused. Something was bugging the prince, and he can't determine what it was. Or who it was.

There were few things Aang has observed about the older boy.

One, he's trying to distance himself from everyone. Maybe it's because about Katara, or maybe he's still guilty about everything he did in the past. In Aang's opinion, Zuko has proved himself worthy of his trust, and need not make a wall between himself and everyone else.

Two, the prince has nightmares. Aang never really witnessed him tossing and turning at night, but others did. Sadly, they pretended not to see anything, and pretended to be asleep when the prince wakes up in cold sweat and hitched breathing. He always tries to calm himself down, with no one to help him, no one to ask him if he was okay.

The though made him sad enough to cry for Zuko's sake.

Facing the fire bender, he started to stare at the face that wasn't disturbed by anything. The face that was usually in stiff demeanor, having been brought up as a prince. Aang couldn't help but smile. There was something calming about Zuko, something that makes his heart feel at ease when he's with him. Tonight, he felt honored to be able to gaze at such beauty. A finger moved away the hair that was covering Zuko's eyes.

Is it possible for someone to be this beautiful?, Aang pondered.

Inching closer, he brushed his lips against Zuko's, feeling warmth and a sense of home. He brought his lips away quickly. The monks would never approve someone who would take advantage of someone, he thought, and he prayed intently. _Forgive me_.

A part of him was saying that it was meant for Zuko.

He stood up, left the room, and went straight to the pond. He sat there, blushing, and found himself missing Zuko's lips. He groaned silently. He collapsed on the cold floor and just laid there, staring at the moon who seemed to be smiling at him. _No fair, Yue. You saw what I did,_ Aang wanted to say. To his surprise, someone lied beside him. He turned to that direction, and to his surprise, there was Zuko.

"Was I too loud when I left the room?" Aang asked, feeling slightly worried. He sat up.

"I felt it." The prince silently mumbled, making Aang gasp and bring his hands on his lips.

"I-I'm sorry! I shouldn't have sneaked on you like that! It was taking adva-…" He was cut off by those lips that he missed. Lips that he wanted so much. Lips that made him feel at home. He didn't plan to kiss back, but Zuko was insisting that he must. Aang found himself falling, mesmerized. The enthralling beauty he was addicted in was in front of him, kissing him. Wrapping his arms around the fire bender's neck, he smiled between the kiss when Zuko's arms were around his waist.

When they broke apart, Zuko simply embraced Aang. He was desperate for affection, and he seemed like searching for something else on that embrace. Aang just sat there, willing to keep him company.

"You found me on my most vulnerable state…" The prince mumbled, breaking the silence that seemed to stretch on like hours. Aang released a small laugh. "Thank you."

"For what?" Aang asked.

"For everything."

And they both sat in silence, in each other's arms, feeling each other's heartbeats that resonated in the silent moonlight. There were a lot of things left unsaid, but there was time. Enough time.

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**Author's Note:** Please don't kill me. This is my first attempt to write Zukaang. Actually, this is a comeback after years on inactivity in writing fanfiction (or rather submitting fanfiction). I got a little scared on submitting my work on the internet since I haven't really improved since then, but this pairing is an exemption. There's something about this pairing that makes me feel happy when I write them. Haha. Cheesy.

Tell me what you think! And if you find some spelling/grammar mistakes, please feel free to tell. :)


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